Indoor cats

[Pandabuzz]

We are planning on getting a rescue cat, and considering if indoor or outdoor would be better. My previous cats have always gone outside, but I’m thinking I would prefer knowing they are indoors and safe.
This might sound silly, but how do you keep them indoors?! Our house is very open plan downstairs. What do you do when answering the door/bringing shopping in? Do you shut the cat away or are they not interested? What about in summer if it is warm and you want to leave windows open?
I feel like I’m missing something!

I think it's a lot to do with their personalities
I have three
My big boy has always enjoyed going out
My younger girls are not interested
We take them out on leashes on hot days in summer to the back garden early in the morning (one panics and runs wildly if startled,doesn't always come when called)- they are held very loosely and if run to the house we are with them they're never held back.we leave doors open.ine meows for you to come sit on back doorstep with her and will need continual reassurance.our scaredy cat doesn't bother.we have window locks so they can't fall out of upstairs windows

I would never stop a cat that wanted to go out

I should add indoor cats do need play,lots of play.ee have toys,a cat tree and a bird feeder in a bush below D's bedroom window which they love to watch.he also puts bird clips on you tube for them!(they are actually scared if a bird flies over them when outside!)

All five of my cats are indoor cats, when I answer the door I close the hallway door although they are not interested in going out, in summer I open the windows and provide cooling mats and more water etc. I don't really think about it tbh

Our cat is very timid and was too scared to go out when she was able to as a kitten, Now she is fully grown and now a housecat.
We have left the utility door open to the garden and the cat was shut in the room ( without us realising ) and she showed no inclination to venture outside.
Just make sure you have plenty of interesting things going on indoors , plenty of scratching posts , catty climbing possibilities and things to play with .

Mine go into mine and next doors garden under supervision. They've both accidentally got out the front door but quickly decided the big wide world isn't for them. Mine are Persians so really can't go out the front as they just aren't streetwise enough, and might get stolen. Fortunately they don't climb so open wi does are ok.

I live in an apartment block, so my front door opens on to a lobby for three flats, then there's a fire door before the street door. Have to be careful with open windows though.
Be aware that many of the rescue organisations are not open to rehoming cats where they will be indoor only, or will only offer you a cat with FIV.

Another thing to consider if you want an indoor cat is to get 2 - that way they keep each other company and entertained.

Regarding windows, there's a marvelous product called Flatcats which is a tough mesh that prevents cats from getting out of an open window.

Another option is to either cat proof your garden, or build a catio if there's room.

In my experience, most cats want to go out at least sometimes, and are more prone to difficult behaviour such as being destructive or attacking passing feet, if this instinct is thwarted.

If you are concerned about your cat's safety, I would be inclined to only let the cat out in the back garden (this is what I do, but I live in a terrace so it's easy) or else install cat barriers (eg rollers) so your cat can enjoy your garden in safety. Cats get a lot from outdoor access: exercise, the chance to practice their stalking and hunting skills, a whole extra dimension to their world in the form of scents from other animals that we are unaware of, and the opportunity to scent-mark their own territory without damaging their owner's house.

That said, sometimes rescues have cats come in that have always been indoor cats, and these ones are more likely to live happily indoors if they never went out as kittens.

Cat barriers on your fence, I meant to say, to make it cat proof!

My three are indoor but are pedigree. One of my ragdolls loves walks on his lead and gets very excited when you call him for a walk. My Norwegian forest is terrified of the outside.

Some cats are happy not to go out, but you will need to work harder to keep your cat happy and stimulated. Opening the front door can be a bit challenging, I wished when ours were kittens that we had a porch, but I will shut them in the kitchen if needed.
If you have room, could you build an outdoor run or catio too?
Mine are allowed out but don't go very far. One roams a bit further.

My girl is an indoor cat by choice. She hates going out, sometimes during the height of summer she'll laze in the sun but mostly she stays in. However I once owned a boy who loved going out and pretty much only came in to eat. It's very much down to the cats individual personality

We've got a Ragdoll and she can't go outside as she would get lost past the doorstep! She shows no interest, other than to see if there is someone at the door who will give her some fuss. The takeaway delivery guy is her favourite!

Ours are rag dolls and are indoor cats. However, we have put a cat proof fence up at the end of our side return, effectively making a Catio, so they can go outside but not beyond the fence.

I have lost cats before and feel safer with them as indoor cats.

It's generally not easy to have indoor cats if you live in a house, especially if you have children as you do have to take care when going in and out, and it won't be possible to leave the back door open in the summer.

Catproofing your garden would be the best of both worlds - safe outdoor space for the cat and makes life so much easier for you as you can then have the back door open and/or easily pop in to the garden without worrying about your cat escaping. Look up Sanctuary SOS and Protectapet for fence-top catproofing.

The charity I used to volunteer with advised all cats, even those who are generally allowed to roam, are never let out at the front of the property - it's safer to only roam a network of back gardens. Depends on your house and garden of course, if you're in a detached house with easy access to the front then it won't make much of a difference (and you should consider catproofing the garden). Windows can be opened on a latch or you can get Flatcats screens for them.

I'm really careful with the front door. Mine don't come near it much anyway so it's fine to take in a parcel or something, but if I'm getting work done in the house or having a larger delivery (like a washing machine recently) then I will shut the cats into a room upstairs to keep them safe.

Indoor, just keep them entertained. Our cats (also rescue) are not interested in running out through the open door, they only come up to welcome us when we come back home. They occasionally come out in the garden when it's warm. It's never been an issue. They love people/bird watching on window sills and sleep on radiator beds near the windows, they can admire the views as much as they want to

Our two are an unusual pedigree and very high energy. Our garden can’t be cat proofed but we’ve been letting them out for short periods and they always, always come back immediately when called for a treat.

However I do worry that in the summer it will only take a squirrel or bird to entice them into a neighbour’s garden.

Thank you all for your replies!
It’s definitely looking like letting them will work best for us. 🐈‍⬛